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Deanne Fitzmaurice / San Francisco Chronicle Irish rock star Bono has come under fire from left wing political activists after he invested in a video game that depicts Venezuela in a negative light. …

Deanne Fitzmaurice / San Francisco Chronicle

Irish rock star Bono has come under fire from left wing political activists after he invested in a video game that depicts Venezuela in a negative light.

The U2 frontman has invested $300 million in California manufacturers Pandemic Studios, whose game “Mercenary 2: World in Flames” allows players to play a mercenary sent to Venezuela, which has been taken over by an oil-hungry dictator. The player is told, “If you can see it, you can buy it, steal it, or blow the living crap out of it.”

The actual leader of the South American nation at present is Hugo Chavez, who is well-known for his anti-imperialism views and his dislike of the United States foreign policy.

Jeff Cohen, author of “Cable News Confidential: My Misadventures in Corporate Media,” has recently visited Venezuela and is baffled by Bono’s endorsement of the game.

Cohen tells Page Six, “It’s hard to fathom why an artist who claims to be about new paths to justice for developing countries would be mixed up in a computer game that glorifies stale, old mercenary approaches.”

The Irish mega star announced “No News Today” on the front page of the popular broadsheet in a design by acclaimed artist Damien Hirst, adding in small print at the bottom: “Just 6,500 Africans died today as a result of a preventable, treatable disease.”

The singer unleashed his talents on the publication in a bid to encourage the corporate world to join the battle against disease in Africa.

Coverage of the continent comprised the first seven pages of the newspaper, and Bono contributed an impassioned plea for action in his editorial.

The letter, entitled “I am a witness. What can I do?” begins with an appeal to disregard preconceptions of “messianic rock stars” and concentrate instead on the issues being raised.

Bono urged, “Not for the sake of my vanity, but for the sake of people who are depending on you — the reader — to respond to the precariousness of their lives.

“(Former U.S. Secretary of State) Colin Powell describes HIV as ‘the most lethal weapon of mass destruction on the planet.’ So forgive us if we expand our strategy to reach the high street, where so many of you live and work.”

Top-selling brands including Gap, Converse, American Express and Giorgio Armani have already signed up to back the Red initiative.

Bono has attacked Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, after his face was used in a government magazine without his permission. The Irish rocker and charity campaigner has written to Berlusconi …

Bono has attacked Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, after his face was used in a government magazine without his permission.

The Irish rocker and charity campaigner has written to Berlusconi claiming he feels exploited by the use of his image in the 161-page magazine published by the Forza Italia party and sent to millions of Italian households ahead of next week’s elections.

A caption below the image reads, “The Irish star is grateful to the prime minister for the actions promoted by the Italian government toward poor countries,” in reference to the G8 summit in July 2005, where world leaders agreed to increase aid to Africa.

Bono’s letter — which has been printed on the front page of Italian Sunday newspaper Corriere della Sera — reads, “Mr. Berlusconi, as flattered as I can be of appearing in your brochure, I also feel a bit exploited.”

Bono also challenges the leader to fulfil Italy’s commitments to the cause and double aid to Africa by 2010 as he promised to do at the summit in Gleneagles, Scotland.

The letter adds, “If your commitment is real and your signature is trustworthy, then the world wants to know how Italy intends to reach this target.”

Campaigning rocker Bono is launching a fashion brand named Red in a new bid to combat the spread of AIDS in Africa. The U2 frontman has teamed up with global giants Gap, Armani and American Express to …

Campaigning rocker Bono is launching a fashion brand named Red in a new bid to combat the spread of AIDS in Africa.

The U2 frontman has teamed up with global giants Gap, Armani and American Express to launch Red products — which currently includes a line of logo-bearing Gap T-shirts, Armani-style wraparound sunglasses and a special red-colored credit card.

Bono says, “Red is a 21st century idea. I think doing the Red thing, doing good, will turn out to be good business for them.”

Product Red Chief executive, Billy Shriver, claims Bono convinced the companies to invest, by allowing them to retain a small percentage of profits.

He says, “We said, ‘You have to make money, because if you don’t make money, you won’t want to invest.'”

U2 frontman Bono wants be remembered for his contribution to rock music instead of his political activism. The 45-year-old singer has been a key figure in raising awareness of AIDS and poverty in …

U2 frontman Bono wants be remembered for his contribution to rock music instead of his political activism.

The 45-year-old singer has been a key figure in raising awareness of AIDS and poverty in Africa and campaigning for the elimination of developing nations’ debt.

But the modest 14-time Grammy-winner would prefer to be recognized for role in his Irish rock band, because he hopes the global issues he has campaigned against will be solved by the time he passes away.

He says, “I think my work — the activism — will be forgotten. And I hope it will. Because I hope those problems will have gone away.”

The U2 frontman, 45, met Bush to continue discussions they had started at the G8 Summit in Gleneagles, Scotland, earlier this year, where Bush and a host of other world leaders decided to alleviate debt for several developing nations.

White House press secretary Scott McClellan explains, “They had a very